NYC NOW - April 29, 2024: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

The Rent Guidelines Board, which determines how much rent will go up for certain rent-regulated apartments, will hold a preliminary vote Tuesday to decide a new range of increases. In other news, Albany lawmakers are considering changes to New York City’s mayoral elections. WNYC’s Brigid Bergin reports. Additionally, securing affordable housing in New York City remains a challenge for low-income residents, particularly those with disabilities. WNYC’s David Brand shares the story of one woman’s search for a new home. Finally, WNYC’s David Furst talks to Eater New York editor Melissa McCart about restaurants that offer floating dining experiences.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Jenae Pierre. The board that determines how much rent will go up for certain rent-regulated apartments will hold a preliminary vote Tuesday evening at LaGuardia Community College. Every year, the nine-person rent guidelines board determines how much rent will go up for roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments. The board's preliminary vote typically sets the range for how much the final increase. will be. The board is also required to hear from the public before the final vote later this year. The public can watch the meeting through a live stream. The Rent Guidelines Board has to decide on new rent rates no later than July 1st. Lawmakers in Albany are eyeing a change to New York City's

mayoral elections. WMYC's Bridget Bergen has the details. The state constitution requires the city's local elections to take place in odd-numbered years, but turnout in those contests, is anemic. Just over 12% of voters cast a ballot in last year's general election. That's why State Senator James Scufus is introducing a constitutional amendment to shift the city's elections to even-numbered years to coincide with state or federal contests, which consistently have higher turnout. There will be plenty of conversation over the next five or six weeks before we break for session, but there is a very strong desire to get this done this year before we break in June. And that's because the measure needs to be approved by two consecutive legislative

sessions and by voters as a ballot initiative before it could become law. Many low-income New Yorkers are having a tough time finding affordable housing options, but it's harder for the tens of thousands of locals with disabilities, even more so for those with fixed monthly incomes. WMYC's David Brand, followed one Bronx woman's months-long search for a place to live as an eviction deadline approached. It was late December and Collette Baird was scrambling to find a new place to live before a city marshal came to change the locks and evict her Bronx apartment. She's 52, has advanced cancer and serious spinal problems.

Her $1,000 a month disability checks aren't enough to afford much in the five boroughs. I've been looking like crazy for an apartment. I went through like six social workers, assemblymen's office. offices, everything. The couple friends I have, or either have roommates or, you know, they don't have this space. They live in the studio. So I am in dire straits right now. When I met up with Baird, she was packing photos, important documents, and favorite clothing into a big bag, just in case she needed to leave quickly. This is trash. I don't have the time to go through this. Wow. I never thought my personal stuff I would have to throw out. But I think I'm going to, you know, do my emergency suitcase because I could spend

hours doing this and then the marshal comes and I don't have my suitcase. She had to get out because her landlord wanted to give the apartment to his daughter after her lease expired. A judge ordered her eviction in September and Baird agreed to leave by January 1st. She was also failing to make rent payments with the little cash she received each month. And I feel bad because I was working, we would pay the rent early. And, you know, they really appreciated that and now, you know, it comes down to this. The landlord didn't respond to calls and messages seeking comment, but his daughter, Daryana Matos, says he was dealing with his own financial problems. She says a foot injury left him unemployed. We're definitely struggling financially and just by everyone

kind of giving my parents money, you know, the children, just to keep up with the mortgage. It was definitely stressful. Roughly four of every 10 New Yorkers with a disability pay at least half their income on rent, according to the city's most recent housing survey, and tenants facing eviction have few options for rental assistance without first going into a homeless shelter. Baird says she needed a housing voucher to afford a place. She stayed in the apartment for weeks past her scheduled eviction date. She says her housing search hit hurdle after hurdle.

A friend offered space in her Harlem one bedroom, but there wasn't enough room for her specialized bed. She visited a studio on Marion Street in the Bronx, but then the broker ghosted her. We're looking for apartments now, but that voucher, if I could just get that voucher and look, you know, because I find a couple places that take vouchers, but I don't have it yet. Mayor Eric Adams is blocking a law passed by the city council that would let people facing eviction get vouchers without going into a shelter first. He says it would cost too much, and that thousands of people in shelters already have city theft's vouchers

and are still struggling to find housing. We have the largest number of people with the FEPS voucher in the history of the program. Baird finally caught a break, thanks to a social worker and housing attorney. They described her situation to high-ranking officials in the Department of Social Services. Without help, she'd have to enter a shelter. So in mid-February, the agency intervened through its adult protective services program. It was an extremely rare move. A caseworker called her to say they found a place in Sunset Park, on the first floor of a rent-stabilized building.

She agreed to take it. At the end of March, a few friends made the two-hour trip from the Bronx. Her sister, Kathy Barsey, came up from Maryland to help inspect the new place. Come on in. How you're all right? Hi, David. It's a joyous moment. Yeah, yeah.

A pinch yourself, is it really happening? Moment. The city gave Bayer a housing voucher to cover most of the rent. She'll pay about 180 bucks, and she does. doesn't have to worry about eviction. It just feels so good, you know, just not to be able to sleep at night and not have that stress. The vibe in here is good. Such a relief. I'm so happy. You don't know.

But many New Yorkers aren't as fortunate. The city council is now suing the Adams administration to implement the law and unlock rental vouchers for people on the brink of eviction. Policymakers say they hope new state laws will also help build more low-income housing for people like Baird. That's WMYC's housing reporter, David Brand. Up next, we take a look at restaurants that are providing a unique dining experience on the water. That story after the break. As the weather gets hotter, some of New York City's restaurants cast off and set sail for dining experiences that leave the busy streets behind. Eater, New York recently published a roundup of the city's floating dining spots.

My colleague, David First, caught up with Eater New York editor, Melissa McCart to go through a few options. You have your life jacket, your sunglasses, we are ready to go. Yes, we are ready to go. I mean, Grand Banks is a classic. It is a polished schooner from Alex and Miles Pinkus. They are brothers. There's a tight seasonal menu and really terrific cocktails and most important great views makes you feel like you're on vacation even when you're not.

How expensive are these meals and experiences? There's a real range, right? There is a real range. Grand Banks, Pilot, Island Oyster, and Drifton are all owned by the Pinkest Brothers. Grand Banks is at Pier 25. Pilot is in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Island Oyster is in Governor's Island, and Drifton is Hudson River Park, Pier 45. That one is sort of a floating dock, and all of those feel polished. Like, you might see some Wall Streeters, you might see some families, you might see some hipsters.

Then we go towards sort of the more divey frying pan. At 12th and 26th Street, and it's an old barge. And that's sort of where you get buckets of corona kind of thing. But it has tons of character, and it's very fun. You could also go to something like North River Lobster Company, that's at P.E. Year 81 at West 41st Street. That's sort of somewhere in between the Grand Banks family and frying pan. So tell us about the restaurant at Pier 25 that just opened for the season.

This is Grand Banks, an oyster bar on a wooden schooner. Yep. So the Sherman Zweiker is a wooden schooner that the Pinkest Brothers rescued. You can find seats that have places in the sun, places that are sheltered. The food is a mix of oysters and champagne and raw bar, caviar. And then, you know, it's a seafood-focused main course menu with like lobster rolls and scallops. And you definitely will feel like you're at a seaside resort when you're on something like Grand Banks. The food is great.

Is this an expensive experience? And is it worth it for a special event? Yes, it is. It's not super expensive as far as, like, you know, we're not talking sushi omacase prices, but I would be prepared to spend a couple hundred bucks if you have a couple people. All right. And let's mention a few other floating dining options we should consider. We did say the frying pan. We have the Baylander Steel Beach, which is an aircraft carrier up in West Harlem. You can take the Staten Island ferry, which I believe is a right of passage for anyone moving to New York or

visiting New York in the summertime. This is a must-do at some point. Absolutely. I mean, how many free things are there in New York, and you can get on the ferry for free and go on and get a snack and some drinks and, you know, see the city from the river. It's fantastic. But I do have a hidden gem that I want to mention. Okay. The Sea Street ferry based in the Highlands.

In New Jersey. Yeah, in New Jersey. It's the commuter ferry that goes into Wall Street. street. I mean, you could essentially just go on the commuter ferry and they have a great bar and they also have food. But you could also book tickets on Thursday nights and Saturday nights. And that's like a 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunset Cruise that's really cheap. You can buy drinks and food at the bar or you can bring your own and it's extremely relaxing. I mean, I think of all the options that I've mentioned, this one is the most chill. In the summer, I do it about once a month.

All right, Eater, New York editor, Melissa McCart. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the water. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. That's my colleague, David First, in conversation with Eater, New York editor, Melissa McCart. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. I'm Jene Pierre.

We'll be back tomorrow.